Configuring verbose logging in the admin console

Select or clear the Verbose log setting checkbox for each PingAccess-specific logging category to adjust log levels more conveniently and quickly.

Logging levels, sometimes abbreviated to log levels, control the amount of information displayed in each log entry for a specific category. The log4j-categories.xml file, first introduced in PingAccess 7.3, defines and allows references to PingAccess-specific logging categories. The Verbose log setting enables you to adjust log levels in the admin console as opposed to directly within the conf/log4j2.xml file. Any changes you make to this setting are effective immediately.

PingAccess records runtime, administrative server, and audit activity in the respective log files contained in the <PA_HOME>/log folder. You can find more information on PingAccess logging in the Log configuration section.

Before you begin

If you’ve customized your log4j2.xml file, you must merge those customizations into the updated log4j2.xml file introduced in PingAccess 7.3. For example, customizations might include configuring the log4j2.xml file to write audit logs for Splunk or in Common Event Format (CEF).

If PingAccess can’t find the new logging variables in the log4j2.xml file you’re using, you’ll receive a warning message after opening the Log Settings page. If you receive this warning, changes that you make on the Log Settings page can’t be implemented until you merge your customizations into the log4j2.xml file.

Examples of the new logging variables:

<AsyncLogger name="com.pingidentity.pa.polling.replication" level="${sys:pa.log.level.clusterreplication:-INFO}"/>
<AsyncLogger name="com.pingidentity.pa.policy.certs.CertificateRevocationInterceptor" level="${sys:pa.log.level.crlhandling:-INFO}"/>

Steps

In PingAccess, go to Settings > System > Log Settings.
In the Verbose column, select the checkboxes that correspond with the categories you want to change.

By default, all categories (except for the five audit categories) are set to the INFO level. Enabling verbose logging changes the log level for the designated category to DEBUG or TRACE, respectively. When verbose logging is disabled for a designated category, the log level returns to INFO.

Leaving log categories set to DEBUG or TRACE can decrease your server performance, so make sure to turn off verbose logging when you’ve finished reviewing your logs.

You can find more information about the categories that are available to adjust in Log level category descriptions.
Click Save.